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Author: janesix

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janesix
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This forum should be retitled The Atheist Forum. 90 percent of posters are atheists. 


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@janesix
The negative aspects of religion are more deeply felt by non-believers (unbelievers of a particular religion or unbelievers in general) and often unknown or dismissed by believers. Where else can a discussion about this be had if not forums meant for discussion?

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@SkepticalOne
Seems like a weird hobby to me.
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@SkepticalOne
The stuff on medieval/ancient politics can usually (like 9 times out of 10) go in the history forum, or the politics forum. 

The stuff on wack-jobs can go in the society forum.  

History and phenomena can often go in the historical or science forums.  

The rationalism/science makes religion moot arguments go in the philosophy forum.  Personal problems can go in the personal forum.
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@janesix
And that frightens you shitless WHY?
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@janesix
Yes, equality and concern for the betterment of humanity is such an unusual and frivolous pastime for so many.  🙄
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@Snoopy
...and religious problems go in the religion forum.
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@SkepticalOne
...and religious problems go in the religion forum.
Precisely,

As it is now, there's a ridiculous amount of energy in the religious forum that could be divested to people who are interested in the socio-politics, the philosophical quandaries of where science lies in religion, history etc...  
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I've asked for believers to discuss their beliefs among themselves, decide which is right and then we can talk about why they're both wrong, none ever do. They just secretly decide "Well, all other beliefs but mine are ridiculous, but at least we agree it's not as dumb as believing in no gods at all, so we have a common enemy."
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@Snoopy
As it is now, there's a ridiculous amount of energy in the religious forum that can be divested, and would generally be more appropriate.

I see no benefit in posting in a less active (or relevant) forum. The suggestion that critics should go elsewhere strikes me as an attempt to make criticism go away without addressing it. 



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@SkepticalOne
I don't believe that's why you guys are here. You are full of shit.
janesix
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@ludofl3x
So you've decided before hand that all religions are wrong. 
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What would be a valid reason, according to you, to be here? Because you never seem to argue, for example, with Polytheist Witch about which one of you has the correct view of spirituality, and Snoopy, a Christian I think, never seems to engage with Roderick Spode, also a Christian, about why either of them are the denominations they are. If there weren't atheists here there wouldn't BE a forum. Go look back at DDO, the place is a complete shitshow. 
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@SkepticalOne
I see no benefit in posting in a less active (or relevant) forum. The suggestion that critics should go elsewhere strikes me as an attempt to make criticism go away without addressing it. 
So, I'm not actually trying to say this at all.  I don't categorize anyone on this website as a critic, and I don't expect the effect you are pointing out.  I observe that socio-political discussion of "evangelicals in the United States" is one topic, and "What is Pentecostal about" is another.


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@janesix
I've always invited someone to engage the case, and I'm happy to discuss with them where their arguments fail. I'm not sure that's the same thing. I start from the null position, so I don't think they're necessarily wrong, but I can't be convinced that they're right without evidence and argumentation. For the purposes of this forum that's called debate. That's what I'm here for. I try to do it respectfully as warranted, with spotty success, but I'm far from the problem here. 
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@ludofl3x
You can't always start from a null position.  Its just plain unreasonable to expect someone to justify every facet of the old testament to you in this forum until you are satisfied that you have a complete understanding. 
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@ludofl3x
  I don't think its generally a good idea to expect someone to persuade to a religion.
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@Snoopy
I don't ask for the justification of every facet of the old testament or the new testament. Those are claims. I ask for evidence, nothing more. I just ask that there be some demonstration of something before I believe in it. It shouldn't be that hard, but here we are. I don't think it's reasonable in any way to say "you must believe something before you can believe it or it can be demonstrated." It's very simple. There is literally no other proposition besides religion that thinks things work this way. I don't have to believe in the earth going around the sun for it to be true. 

And as far as persuading to a religion is concerned, you'd then be at odds with a very significant portion of the bible. Spreading the good news, and all. 
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@ludofl3x
Why are so many atheists here obsessed with religion that they come here every dsy? That's what I am trying to get at.
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@ludofl3x
And as far as persuading to a religion is concerned, you'd then be at odds with a very significant portion of the bible. Spreading the good news, and all. 
This is an interesting topic actually.  Where from the bible do you justify that Christianity is dedicated to persuasion, as opposed to say, letting their light shine?  
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@janesix
I don't believe that's why you guys are here. You are full of shit.
This opinion (unlike religious beliefs in government, legislation, education, medicine, etc) harms me none. In this case, you're free to believe whatever you like.

janesix
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@SkepticalOne
Arguing with theists on a forum no one goes to or knows about is hardly a place to start to change the world.

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@Snoopy
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 


1 Peter 3:15 for one. There's more than a few that evangelists hold up as their sanctified call to arms. 2 Timothy 4:5. Mark 16:15. The problem is "biblical justification" is a problem in itself. You can biblically justify anything from stoning a woman who isn't a virgin on her wedding night to forgiving that same woman. There's no biblical justification for not stoning the woman but there are instructions explicitly about how to do it. No one ever says "and now that rule no longer applies."

Start a topic, argue it with other Christians! I'd love to see it, I'll even stay out of the first page. I would love to see the Christian arguments, seriously. Or better yet, argue with PGA about when Jesus came back. 

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@ludofl3x
I don't ask for the justification of every facet of the old testament or the new testament. Those are claims. I ask for evidence, nothing more. I just ask that there be some demonstration of something before I believe in it. It shouldn't be that hard, but here we are. I don't think it's reasonable in any way to say "you must believe something before you can believe it or it can be demonstrated." It's very simple. There is literally no other proposition besides religion that thinks things work this way. I don't have to believe in the earth going around the sun for it to be true. 
I have to disagree somewhat, or maybe just add on some elaboration.  You can't just dip your toes.  You have to be able to dive in to finally say the water is fine.  If you want to have a meaningful discussion on some things, its not always appropriate for you to take everyone off on some empirical tangent.  Imagine you're the one kid with ten thousand questions whose holding up the class from getting through the lesson.  If you are sincerely interested, you will ask those questions with the motivation to verify them yourself, but you've got to know the basics.

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@janesix
Not sure 'change the world" is why I'm here. I'm here to pass time during slower portions of the workday and I enjoy engaging people with whom I respectfully disagree. 

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@Snoopy
I observe that socio-political discussion of "evangelicals in the United States" is one topic, and "What is Pentecostal about" is another.
I observe topics of religion needn't be exclusively from a perspective of belief. 

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@janesix
Arguing with theists on a forum no one goes to or knows about is hardly a place to start to change the world.
Of course it is.
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@Snoopy
...but you've got to know the basics.

Please give me an example of anything else where in order for me to understand it, I have to understand it already. Where it is impossible for me to figure out the answer for myself without accepting someone else's answer (that cannot be demonstrated in any way) as correct already. These are answers you can't question. 

its not always appropriate for you to take everyone off on some empirical tangent.  Imagine you're the one kid with ten thousand questions whose holding up the class from getting through the lesson. 
I think this is a false equivalence: we are under no time pressure as in a classroom. And a student's questions are only annoying if you can't answer them, I think. "Why does gravity work" has a defined (if complicated) answer. This is exactly where we SHOULD be going off on tangents. 
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@disgusted
There is something wrong with you. Dig deep and find it. Then fix it.
janesix
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@SkepticalOne
How exactly?